You can't keep them safe
by whitenoises
Summary: Shane/OFC. Summer's a girl looking for her sister and facing the harsh realities of the new world. Shane's a broken man looking for a purpose and pining for what he's left behind. *AU where Shane leaves the group with Randall the morning of Better Angels* Will they find out that you can't keep the people you love safe? Or will they find a way to hope? Stay tuned! lol


***Disclaimer* This fic is going to be lengthy and I will update on Fridays. I love/miss Shane so much and I don't usually like OC fic but I feel like it just fits with The Walking Dead. Any normal person could enter or leave the series and it seems totally plausible. I am planning on Shane and Summer meeting up with the events in Season 3. It may take some time to get there. **

**This is my first fan fiction and I'm aware some (maybe all) of the prose is bad! I just want to have fun with it! I am already laughing at myself, so any constructive criticism would make me really happy! I'll try not to make Summer a Mary Sue, but I don't know if I will succeed. I figure everyone needs a few Sue's under their belt before they can move onto more complex characters.** _When I put something in italics it's because the character is thinking it._

**Thanks for reading! You are all beautiful special wonderful people! xoxxo**

"Summer, this may be the first time we leave a bar without you screwing someone!"her sister teased as she parked the bus in back of the crumbling building.

Twisting her wavy blonde hair into a bun Summer retorted "Well _Anna_, this may be the first time we leave a bar without_ you_ puking all over the place!"

Anna rolled her eyes and replied, "Whatever, you need to dye your roots."

Summer was 25 years old and 15 months younger than her sister. They similar in looks but Anna was better at showcasing it. Thick hair that could be unruly. Slender build with thighs a little too thick for their frame. Anna loved it because her ass got her attention, Summer hated it for the same reasons. Also because she couldn't wear skinny jeans.

Their personalities weren't as similar... Their mother doted on Anna for being a sweetheart with good grades and goals in life. Their mom acted like Anna deserved a medal for getting married, popping out three kids and opening second rate pre-school.

Summer thought of herself as a realist, she didn't want to waste her life trying to please her parents. But her mother only saw her as stubborn, emotionally unstable, directionless, impulsive...In truth she wanted all of the things that Anna had, but on her terms. No man had ever been enough. Maybe it was Georgia, but they all acted like they wanted a replacement for their mother. Summer had wanted a lover, she had craved passion.

The girls each grabbed a machete and got out of the bus which had been their home for 3 months. "Leave the shotguns, I don't think we need them" Anna commanded. Summer shrugged. At first it had disgusted her to kill up close. After so many times using the machete to take down a walker it felt no different than killing a fly with a swatter.

The bar was empty. It was also totally wrecked. They kicked the bottles and trash out of the way, walking to the bar-back to scrounge. The place was ransacked...smelled like blood, pretty much the usual. It made her wonder again how many people must be hiding, didn't seem to her there were enough people alive to do all this looting.

The mirror behind the bar had been gunshot. Anna stopped and looked up, Summer went to her lazily resting her hand on her sister's hip. They stood that way for a while.

Summer wanted to say something about the weight they were losing or the bags under their eyes. Instead she just rested her head on Anna's shoulder and sighed. "You're right, my hair looks like shit."

Anna broke away from her, coaxing "C'mon let's see what other disappointments are waiting in this shithole!"

The girls sit down outside the bar, complaining that they can never find any alcohol and trying to decide which buildings look promising.

''Do you hear that?"Summer interrupts."I think I hear an engine."

The girls look on as a red truck turns the corner, parking at what looks to be a pharmacy.

It's been over a month since they have seen another living person.

In her excitement, Anna screamed out "Hey! Hey!" and ran towards them. Summer stretched out her legs, preparing to get up and greet them as well. Then she heard Anna scream. She watched in horror as a large husky man grabbed her sister by the waist and pulled her towards the passenger door. Anna was kicking but she couldn't make contact. She scratched at his face, he flinched but didn't falter. A second man stepped beside him and butted her face with his gun. The sight of her sister's blood broke Summer's paralysis. She darted inside the bar hoping that the men hadn't seen her. Unsure how to proceed she got down on her hands and knees and crawled under the bar-back.

She thought she had conquered fright the morning she and Anna had escaped the preschool with only each other and a small white school bus. What was there to be frightened of after seeing little children tear each other apart? What more was there to fear after you had seen their tiny incisors chewing...chewing...chewing...working to get to the flesh underneath their tender skin?...The same determined expressions on their lifeless faces that they had displayed while fingerpainting hours before.

_Why are you thinking about that now? You need to get a grip. You need to get out from under this bar and help her. You need to get back to the bus and get the shotgun._

Summer was scared. Summer was fucking terrified. She drew her knees into her chest and held her hands over her mouth trying to muffle her panicked gasps. She could see now that she had been lying to herself, fear was real. It was not an emotional switch to be flipped on or off. The terror in this world was never going away, and right now it was taking the form of her sister's screams.

_You need to get up Summer. You have to do something. That is your sister out there, you can't just close your eyes and pretend this isn't happening._

Summer could hear the men laughing cruelly outside. "We're coming in for you when we're done with this one little blondie!" one of them screamed out. "Go ahead and come out and maybe we won't kill you after!"

"Fuuuuck.." she exhaled, unaware that she had spoken.

She realized she could no longer hear Anna's screams, it scared her but at least it got her moving. She pushed herself up slowly, very aware that if they saw her before she could reach the bus she'd be dead or worse.

"What in the hell do you boys think your doin'?" a gruff commanding voice shouted.

Summer paused under the window, unsure of what was happening.

She hears the truck peeling out, shortly followed by three gunshots.

_No. No. No. Anna!_

"Fuck!" the same voice shouted, exasperated "Was that them, man? Was that your friends?"

"Was it? Answer me Randall! What were they doing with that girl, huh?"

"Yes! I...I don't know!" Another voice stammered.

Summer heard the concern in first the man's tone and decided to peek out the window. She saw two men, one whom was restrained.

The first man was tall and muscular. He had a shaved head and although his facial features weren't what she usually found attractive, Summer found herself unable to look away. His eyes were steady and intense. He was wearing an outfit that demanded authority. Khaki pants tucked into black military boots. A black T Shirt that showed the outline of his broad chest. His skin was dripping in sweat, but somehow Summer didn't find that disgusting. She caught herself following the line of his stomach muscles towards the obvious bulge in his pants, then scolded herself and looked away quickly.

_I must be in shock, I'm not thinking clearly._

She studied the other man, just a boy really. Younger than her for sure. He was on his knees facing the direction of the recently departed truck. His was filthy, covered in blood and dirt, and he looked scared.

"Please don't kill me." The boy pleaded turning his head towards the man.

"Well, I still haven't decided on that.. but for now you need to get your ass up." The man growled pulling Randall up by the restraints and shoving him in the direction they had come. "Let's get back to the car and you better hope you can help me find where they took that girl."

Summer darted out from her hiding spot, afraid of losing her only chance at finding Anna.

"Wait!" she pleaded.

The man turned around sharply, his rifle focused towards her.

His dark eyes were on hers and for a moment she could only look into them, what she was about to say forgotten. He pressed his lips together and tilted his head, waiting for her to continue.

Summer took a deep breath. "Please take me with you. My name's Summer and I'm from Atlanta and that is my sister those men just took."

He looked her over again slowly, she couldn't help but feel she was being put to some test.

"Please." she begged, hesitant to move forward. "I have a bus and some food and 2 shotguns and I am really really fucking scared right now."

His intensity broke and he smiled broadly tilting his head in a welcoming gesture.

_He has dimples._

Summer felt relief and gave a smile back, wondering to herself why she was craving approval from this man she had just met.

"C'mon then Ms Summertime." He conceded, moving towards his vehicle "My name is Shane. Let's see if we can find your sister. We can come back for your stuff later."

"Thank you." she said sincerely.

"Nothin' to thank me for yet. This here is Randall, and never forget he's tied up for a reason," he continued, pushing the boy roughly " so don't listen to any of his bullshit."

Summer nodded. She was curious why but she didn't ask. Right now she needed to focus on Anna. She could worry about this kid's well being later.

"Matter of fact Randall...you don't need to talk to her at all."


End file.
